Dee ihe na-aga n'ihu maka paragraf a - Amụrụ na York ma tolite na Yorkshire, Dawson tụrụ anya n'ụzọ zuru ezu ịga n'ihu ọdịnala ọrụ ugbo nke ezinụlọ ya, na n'ezie ịbụ abụ abụghị ọrụ mbụ ya; ọ buru ụzọ rụọ ọrụ na ụlọ ọrụ dị ka onye ntụgharị okwu. Agbanyeghị, emesịa ọ gụrụ akwụkwọ na Guildhall School of Music na Britten <unk> Pears School na Suffolk, ebe ndị nkuzi ya gụnyere Rae Woodland, Gerald Moore na Peter Pears. Otú ọ dị, oge ya dị ka nwa akwụkwọ egwu, nwere oke ebe ọ nwetara ọrụ ọkachamara zuru oke iji bido ọrụ ya wee mee opera mbụ ya na 1986 dị ka Countess na "Le Nozze di Figaro" (Kent Opera). E gosipụtara ọnọdụ Dawson dịka otu n'ime ndị sopranos kachasị ewu ewu na England site na arụmọrụ ya dị ka onye na-egwu egwu na "Libera me" site na Verdi's Requiem na BBC Singers na olili nke Diana, Princess of Wales
na Septemba 1997. Ọ ka na-aga n'ihu na-arụ ọrụ egwu, bụ onye isi nke ọmụmụ olu na opera na Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) yana Mahadum York ma bụrụ Prọfesọ nke Leeds College of Music.