The Golden Kingdom is a cycle of nine songs for high voice and piano, first performed in 1988. Two songs are settings of Percy Bysshe Shelley, which bookend the sequence. One is taken from William Blake, which sits at its midpoint; the rest are by British poet Kathleen Raine (1908-2003). The first four poems in from Raine in the 20-minute cycle are on love; the second group are miniatures, lighter and more evanescent, with a mystical character. Matthews’ vocal lines are expressionist, reminiscent of Schoenberg, and though tonal in character freighted with ambiguity. The piece is also available in a version for medium voice.