Canadian guitarist John Dawson has released a new solo guitar rendition of the Christmas carol “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Dawson offers this stripped-down seasonal track aimed at quiet listening.
Best known in Canada’s folk and roots community, Dawson lives in the Greater Toronto Area and works as a songwriter, guitarist, composer, educator, and accompanist. His experience includes sharing stages with Juno- and Grammy-nominated artists and backing Jackie Lomax at a Beatles festival in 2011.
On “O Little Town Of Bethlehem,” Dawson presents the carol as an unaccompanied guitar miniature with no vocals and minimal ornamentation. Clean melodic lines sit over clear harmonic movement, highlighting the hymn’s shape rather than recasting it through reharmonization or extended improvisation.
The recording aligns with Dawson’s broader approach, in which each note is given space and the overall mood favors reflection over display. Dawson notes that the arrangement mirrors “what I do in the quiet nights by the soft light of a tree,” and he frames the track as a simple offering for “the quiet moments of such a busy season.”
Colleagues and long-time listeners often describe him as a quiet presence on the scene whose work has earned a small but dedicated audience. Dawson studied at Humber College and York University and began his career in theater before moving fully into guitar performance and composition.