LISTEN: Marcus Hummon + a Symphony Orchestra Cover 'Born to Fly'

Alongside a symphony orchestra, accomplished songwriter Marcus Hummon has re-imagined one of his big hits for the new Music City Hit-Makers project. Press play above to hear a new take on Sara Evans' "Born to Fly," premiering exclusively on The Boot.

Originally a massive hit for Evans in 2000, "Born to Fly" was co-written by Hummon, alongside Evans and Darrell Scott. For the Music City Hit-Makers' version, bandleader Charlie Judge updated the track's arrangement, and Hummon lends his own vocals to the instantly recognizable hit.

"In Nashville, music is our common denominator, and our shared language. The Music City Hit-Makers family is wedding the great storytelling singer-songwriter tradition with the power and grace of classical music," Hummon tells The Boot. "Charlie's arrangements offer a unique prism through which the audience can appreciate the simple beauty of popular songs that have become a part American culture."

Hummon is the writer behind smash singles including Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road" and "Cowboy Take Me Away," recorded by the Dixie Chicks. Those two songs and "Born to Fly" are Hummon's three No. 1 country hits as a writer, though he's also landed a number of songs within the Top 40.

In early June, the Music City Hit-Makers are set to release an EP, Songs & Symphony, on which this version of "Born to Fly" will appear. The project will feature classical instruments paired with the vocals of some of Nashville's biggest songwriters, including Rivers Rutherford, Hillary Lindsey and Brett James in addition to Hummon.

"Great songs transcend genre, and they work equally well whether they’re dressed in a cowboy hat or a tuxedo," Judge says. "I find great joy in stripping the songs down to their essence, finding the emotional core, and then rebuilding them with the endlessly inspiring orchestral palette. It is richly rewarding to see an audience who may not be country music fans fall in love with these songs."

Songs & Symphony is due out on June 4.

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